


the right conditions

by Kaijuscientists



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, No Sex, Sleeping Together, Touch-Starved, but still settling into things in a world where they don't have to hide, honestly self indulgent fluff, this is still pretty early after notmageddeon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23795548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaijuscientists/pseuds/Kaijuscientists
Summary: Aziraphale never took to sleep quite like Crowley did, but it turns out he just needs the right conditions.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 144





	the right conditions

**Author's Note:**

> This was a quick thing I wrote cuz I couldn’t make any progress on my other wips, so it ain’t great, but it got the words flowing

“I am absolutely knackered.”

“Dear.” Aziraphale says, looking over his shoulder at the clock. “It’s only 8:30, hardly time to go to bed.”

“What do you even know about bedtimes,” Crowley grumbles to himself. “I haven’t had a sleep in a few months, I’m tired.”

“You sound like a petulant child.” Aziraphale remarks, then more timidly, he asks. “Do you think you’ll go now?” He’s not ready for Crowley to go yet, especially if he might end up sleeping for a few years.

“I might,” Crowley's says with a yawn, now that he’s acknowledged his corporation's desire to sleep, he feels so lethargic.

“Hopefully not for too long this time.”

“Just a nap, I think.” Crowley says, “A regular human one.”

Aziraphale hums, taking another sip of his cocoa. 

“Hey, Aziraphale,” Crowley asks. “You partake in so many human habits and rituals, how come you’ve never taken up sleeping?” 

“Oh, actually,” Aziraphale says, “I have slept before, technically. It just wasn’t on purpose, mind you, it happened accidentally.”

“Oh?” Crowley’s interest was piqued.

“I feel asleep, or at least I assumed I did, a handful of times reading.” Aziraphale explains, rubbing his neck as he remembers the last time he woke up, slouched in this arm chair with a crick in his neck. “When I regained consciousness I was very disoriented and my neck hurt, I didn’t like it.”

“Well yeah, if you just fall asleep reading like that, it’s not gonna be good.” Crowley says, like it’s the most obvious thing. “You gotta get in a nice bed, wear some nice pajamas, lots of soft pillows and blankets. It’s real cozy, I know you’d like it.”

“I’ve tried in a bed!“ Aziraphale says, crossing his arms and lips pursing into a pout. “I could never manage to fall asleep on purpose.” He’s more vexed than anything, thinking about those nights he had lain in bed, trying to sleep. “I could only think about all the other things I could have been doing instead.”

“Well, you can’t dwell on that stuff,” Crowley says, quirking an eyebrow. “Or you’ll never manage it. You just have to let your mind wander…” He waves his hand in some nondescript gesture. “And then you go to sleep!”

“Of course, why didn’t I think of that?” Aziraphale replies sarcastically. “Besides, if Upstairs ever found out I was wasting the Almighty’s time sleeping of all things, let’s just say I’d receive more than a rude note.”

“Angel, no one's keeping tabs anymore, are they?” Crowley says softly. “Just us now, can do anything we want, no one to scold you for getting some rest the human way.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I’m not sure.” 

“Look, I’m just saying that sleep can be very comfortable, and I bet if you did it right, you’d like it a lot.”

“Are you insinuating that I tried to sleep incorrectly?!”

“I’m saying there’s a good chance, yeah.” Crowley says. “You can’t be good at everything, angel.”

“Never said I was.” Aziraphale grumbles. “Never found it very comforting either. 

“”Cause you didn’t do it the right way, is all I’m sayin’”

Aziraphale thinks for a while, maybe he could give it another try. There really was no harm in it, he supposes. He and Crowley do have all the time in the world now, and what was a little time wasted sleeping when you had eternity.

And really, anytime spent with Crowley wasn’t time wasted at all.

“If I agree to try, will you drop this subject?”

“I might.” 

Aziraphale rolls his eyes, that's about as good of an answer he’s likely to get out of the demon. 

“Yes!” Crowley pumps his fist in the air. “Ok, if we’re gonna do this, we have to go to my place. No offense angel, but I’ve seen you’re bed, and I’m pretty sure it and the mattress are original Victorian. 

\-------------------------------

Crowley loved nothing more than to lie down after a long day, let his body relax, even if he wasn’t planning on sleeping. But sleeping was such a nice way to let his mind stop for a while, to rest and recover from being aware 24/7. 

He was ecstatic that Aziraphale had agreed to sleep with him finally. He pulls Aziraphale into this bedroom, and he produces a set of pajamas, pushing them into Aziraphale arms.

“Oh, thank you.” Aziraphale says happily. “I haven’t had pajamas in centuries.” 

Crowley miracles his own pajamas on, opting for black flannel instead of his usual silk. 

Aziraphale changes the old fashioned way, carefully folding his clothes and setting them atop Crowley’s dresser. 

By the time he’s done and gotten himself all squared away, Crowley has already gotten comfortable in bed. He’s stretched out under the covers, reclining back into a small pile of very soft looking pillows. 

Aziraphale sits on the bed, pleased to find that Crowley wasn’t lying, and his bed was very comfortable feeling. He swings his legs up and under the covers, laying back stiffly against this own pillows.

Crowley rolls on to his side, watching Aziraphale with fond eyes. He looks stiff, laying straight as a board and altogether uncomfortable. 

“Angel, you gotta relax.” 

“I am relaxed.” 

“What’s your definition of the word?”

“I’m not sure how.” Aziraphale just huffs, clasping his hands together over his belly. “Normally relaxing for me is reading a book.”

“Well, for one, look at you, you’re all stiff. Take a deep breath and let the tension drain out.” Crowley tries to coach his angel. “This is a top of the line mattress, let it support you, you don’t have to keep all your muscles all tense.”

Aziraphale takes a few deep breaths, manages to relax a little, sinking a little further into the softness of the mattress. 

“There you go.” Crowley encourages. “Then you close your eyes, clear your mind, and eventually you will fall asleep. You can try counting your breaths.”

Time passes, and Aziraphale is not having any success. He can’t seem to turn off his brain for long enough.

“Crowley.” Aziraphale whispers, turning his head to look at the seemingly sleeping demon. “I don’t think this is working.” 

Crowley perks awake with a big sigh, having dozed a little bit.

“Not with that attitude, angel.” Crowley says slowly, blinking his eyes open.

Aziraphale is tense all over again, failing to sleep stressing him out. His fingers tapping anxiously upon his belly.

“Come over here,” Crowley beckons, rolling to lay flat on his back. Aziraphale looks at him, weighing his options, but eventually he rolls over, shimmies himself closer to Crowley.

As soon as he’s within distance, Crowley's hand snakes around his shoulders, guiding him to settle into the crook of his arm. He ends up pressed against Crowley's side, head resting on his shoulder, and he wiggles in closer. 

Aziraphale throws his arm over Crowley's belly, and Crowley pulls the heavy comforter up so that it covers both of them. 

“How’s this?”

“This is fine.” Aziraphale says, reluctant to agree that this is better already. He can feel the warmth of Crowley all down his front. “ I suppose.”

He unconsciously tangles his leg between Crowley’s. 

“Just fine, huh?” 

Aziraphale hums in agreement,deciding that Crowley's bony shoulder isn’t actually doing it for him, shifting to lay his head on Crowley’s chest.

“Oh…” Aziraphale is helpless to stop the small gasp that escapes him. Crowley’s heart is beating just under his ear, a strong, steady rhythm.

It and of itself was quite possibly, the most soothing thing Aziraphale had ever heard.

“Now this is nice.” he says with a quiet sigh. He presses his hand flat to Crowley’s chest, wiggling his fingers in between the buttons of his pajamas, wanting to feel the steady thump of his heart. Crowley’s skin tingles when Aziraphales fingertips press into his skin, his chest feeling warm and full.

“It is.” Crowley chuckles, dropping a kiss to Aziraphale's forehead. “Now just relax.” 

Aziraphale hum, closing his eyes again, he tries to focus on the thump of Crowley’s heart, use it to block out his thoughts, but even that is not enough.

“I can hear you thinking angel.” Crowley says sleepily. He runs a hand through Aziraphale's hair, gently scratching at his scalp with each pass. “Stop that.”

The effect that particular action has on Aziraphale is immediate. Any tension the angel had been holding onto is released and he feels he feels Aziraphale melt into him.

He cracks an eye open, to peer at the angel on his chest.

“Don’t.... don’t stop doing that,” Aziraphale says, his voice going low, words starting to slur just a little. He pushes his head up into Crowley's hand when he does stop. “Please.”

“‘Course.” Crowley says, pleasantly surprised. Had he known the trick to getting Aziraphale to stop and chill for a minute would be to touch his hair, well, he could have used this information on many occasions. 

When he brings his other hand around, rubbing slowly up and down Aziraphale’s back, he swears he can hear Aziraphale is purring. 

“God… is this what I’ve been missing? All these years?” Aziraphale says, fighting to pull his heavy eyelids open, fighting the sleep he has been trying to find all night. 

Crowley almost laughs at the easy blasphemy, that his angel is feeling so at ease he doesn’t even notice what he’s said. 

“Hush, Angel.” Crowley coos, rubbing Aziraphale back and hugging him close. “Go to sleep.”


End file.
